LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — When the Tropicana Avenue overpass reopens on Monday, lanes will be redrawn into a “diverging diamond” that is expected to handle traffic better during ongoing construction.
Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) spokesman Justin Hopkins confirmed Friday that drivers should expect the change Monday. It will be similar to other diverging diamonds in the region.
Traffic will be down to two lanes in each direction when Tropicana reopens on Monday at 5 a.m.
Work on rerouting lanes is already progressing, as shown in these 8 News Now photos taken early Friday morning:
At a diverging diamond, traffic is briefly routed to the opposite side of the road, allowing cars to turn left onto freeway on-ramps without stopping or crossing traffic. Among the places that already have such configurations:
- The interchange at Horizon Drive and Interstate 11 in Henderson
- The lanes beneath U.S. 95 at Kyle Canyon Road in the northwest valley
- The lanes beneath Interstate 15 at U.S. 93 just northeast of Las Vegas
“When the Tropicana Avenue overpass reopens Monday it will be at reduced capacity and in a temporary diverging diamond formation,” Hopkins said. “We believe a diverging diamond interchange will help with efficiency and safety during the time of reduced capacity on Tropicana.”
The most disruptive phase of the “Dropicana” project begins Friday night (Jan. 27, 2023) when I-15 closes through the weekend at 10 p.m. while crews demolish part of the Tropicana bridge over the freeway. See more details on the closures here.
